


Temporary Termination

by grrriliketigers



Series: The Temporary Series [3]
Category: The Closer
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-16
Updated: 2013-04-16
Packaged: 2017-12-08 16:29:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,546
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/763534
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/grrriliketigers/pseuds/grrriliketigers
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Follow-up to Temporary Blindness & Temporary Insanity. Brenda and Sharon learn more about each other and take their relationship to the next level upon returning to Los Angeles but the powers that be may have other plans.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The overhead light buzzed from years of inactivity. The room was the only one with any hint of feminine touch in the house. That being said the only hint of feminine touch was the light pink bedspread, the rest of the room was sparse. 

“It was my bedroom.” Sharon explained. “I took my things with me when I moved out. If you need anything just let me know.” 

“I should be fine.” Brenda smiled. 

Sharon closed the door and sat on the bed. Brenda sat with her. Sharon’s fingers sought out Brenda’s and gave her hand a squeeze. Sharon cupped Brenda’s cheek and kissed her softly. 

“Goodnight.” 

Brenda nipped Sharon’s lower lip, “goodnight.” 

Sharon slipped out of the room and closed the door behind her. As she walked down the hallway toward the guestroom that she was staying in, the door to the Admiral’s bedroom opened and Phillip emerged. 

“Mom, can we talk about something for a minute?”

“Of course, sweetheart,” she followed him into the bedroom, “what’s up?”

“Can I just ask a quick question about your friend Brenda?” 

“Don’t ask the question if you don’t want to know the answer.” Sharon mustered a smile. 

“Got it. Don’t ask, don’t tell.” Phillip nodded, “but you know… if you want to tell me I don’t mind asking… you’re not in the military anymore, no harm no foul, right?” 

Sharon smiled and patted Phillip on the back. She kissed his cheek. “You’re a good man, Phillip.” 

“Has this been since dad died? And you never told us?” Phillip asked.

Sharon sighed, “nothing’s really been since your dad died.” 

“You don’t date at all?” Phillip furrowed his brow. 

“Are _you_ dating anyone?”

“ _Yes_ , thank you very much.” Phillip laughed, “she’s an attorney with the Virginia DA’s office. Her name is Madison.” 

“You don’t mean Madison Clarke!” Sharon furrowed her brow. 

“Yes, do you know her?” 

“For heaven’s sake Phillip! I used to babysit Madison Clarke! Her father was one of your grandfather’s lieutenants. She’s only ten years younger than I am!” 

Phillip laughed again, “yeah, _but_ only ten years older than me. I mean, you and dad were in your early twenties when you had us.” 

“Still…” Sharon pouted. “We’ll talk about Madison Clarke tomorrow…” 

**

Over the years Sharon had attended many military funerals and this was her second one receiving a flag. The stone faced ensign in his dress whites handed the folded flag to Sharon. The sun glinted off of the badges of her police jacket and the ensign blinked to avoid the light. 

Phillip put his arm around his mother and she looked stoically ahead. 

When the funeral ended Sharon shook the hands and saluted the Admiral’s friends and fellow officers. Brenda stood from the back row of the crowd and joined Sharon and Phillip. Back at the house Sharon accepted a long distance phone call from Lieutenant Jaime Raydor who was sorry he wasn’t able to get away. 

Sharon and Brenda spent the subsequent five days going through Andrew’s effects, Phillip stopping in after work most nights. Brenda didn’t mind staying in separate rooms while they were on a Naval base. Brenda had expected things to be slow going with Sharon and as she had told her, she didn’t expect anything. 

They took strolls together and held hands in the kitchen while they ate and cuddled when they watched the news and they kissed on the bed before they said goodnight. 

Brenda did not mind taking it a little slow for now.

What Brenda did mind was the parade of tall, dark and handsome officers who came to offer their condolences to Sharon. The men that she grew up with, that she trained and served with, the men that hugged her and kissed her cheeks and squeezed her hands. 

One of the strapping young men that served under her during her time as a systems analyst was paying his repects and filling Sharon in on what he’d been doing for the last twenty years while Brenda made a pot of coffee. 

Brenda peeked aroud the door frame when she heard Sharon laugh. She scowled when the commander, muscles bulging under his thin t-shirt, leaned just a little too close, sharing a private joke with _her girlfriend_. 

Or… whatever the hell she was supposed to be. Even more worked up that Brenda couldn’t put a label on what Sharon was to her or even if she had any claim to Sharon. She stacked three cups on a tray and brought out the carafe of coffee. 

“How do you take your coffee, Commander?” Brenda asked through a saccharine smile. 

“Oh, none for me, ma’am, I should be going.” He stood and so did Sharon. He saluted her, “it was good to see you, Captain. Hopefully it won’t be so long before I see you next.” 

“I’ll definitely try to get out this way more often.” Sharon smiled, “thanks for visiting, Billy.” 

He smiled and nodded to Brenda, “it was nice to meet you, ma’am.” 

“Ditto.” Brenda could scarcely conceal her scowl. Although, the way his eyes were glued to Sharon, she doubted he noticed. 

The door closed behind him and Brenda huffed. “Don’t let the door hit you on the ass on the way out… you could crack a tooth on that ass, for heaven’s sake.” 

Sharon started laughing, “Brenda…”

“What? Still laughing over some stupid Navy joke he told you?” Brenda crossed her arms across her chest. 

“Brenda, you’re being silly.”

“I’m being silly? The man practically dislocated his neck trying to look down your shirt and _I’m_ being silly?” Brenda scoffed. 

Sharon wrapped her arms around Brenda’s waist and nipped at her bottom lip. “You’re jealous.” 

“What?” 

“You heard me, Johnson, you’re jealous.” Sharon kissed slowly down Brenda’s neck, “it’s really cute actually.” 

“Well, I mean, the three days that you comped me are long over and… I don’t know, how do I know that you want me? I mean, you have been approached by an endless string of strong, attractive men since we’ve been here and I’m supposed to believe you’re going to choose me?”

“Why is that so hard to believe?” 

Brenda shrugged, “I don’t know.” Brenda pouted, “I just… you know, I told you, I don’t expect anything and I know you don’t seriously date so…” 

“So you’re just going to be jealous but not tell me what you want?” Sharon smirked, “do you want to have a relationship with me? Like, a real, honest to goodness, relationship?” 

“Yes.” Brenda frowned. “I do. That was scary for me to admit. Do you want that with me? I mean, are you ready to break your self-imposed twenty-year relationship dry spell? Because I’m scared that you’re not.”

“Recent events have led me to rethink a few of my decisions and have made me see that I’ve been overly cautious.” Sharon gave Brenda a quick squeeze. 

“Or maybe you were just waiting for me…” Brenda grinned. 

Sharon smiled, her laugh lines crinkling around her eyes and drawing out her dimples. “That’s probably it.” 

“All that being said… it’s really hard watching you hug and kiss and touch all of those... hunks.” 

“Like Billy?” Sharon asked incredulously, “Billy’s like a son to me. I was his CO.” 

“May to December romances have been known to start between subordinates and their superiors…” 

“Oh my god. You just compared me to Will Pope.” Sharon laughed, trying to play offended, “you compared me to Will Pope and called me old in the same sentence. It would really be more like a May to September romance.”

Brenda blushed and laughed, “okay, fine, but it’s not just Billy, it’s Smitty and Rick and Duke and John and Johnny and Jack and Ace and Hopper and Chris. I mean, the list goes on. They’re just all so good looking…” 

“You’ve spent more time sizing up my friends’ sex appeal than I have.” Sharon furrowed her brow. “You think _Rick_ is attractive?”

“You know, in an older man sort of way. Gray hair can be sexy.” 

Sharon considered this for a moment but obviously didn’t see what Brenda saw. “Would it put your mind at ease at all if I told you I have slept with some of the men you mentioned and I still choose you?” 

Brenda’s jaw dropped open. “Which ones?”

“I don’t think I should tell you.” Sharon laughed. “I think they’d wake up with horses heads on their pillows. You don’t strike me as the insecure type, is there something else?”

“We haven’t done anything even remotely sexual since we showered together at your place.” Brenda admitted. 

“I have never had sex in this house.” 

Brenda was shocked by her admission and was only able to choke out a “ _really_?”

“You’ve had sex at yours parents’ house?” Sharon watched Brenda curiously. 

“Well… I mean, only in my own room…” Brenda blinked at Sharon. “What did you do… before you moved out?” 

Sharon shrugged, “my boyfriends and I mostly did it in the car.” 

“God, car sex is so uncomfortable though.” 

Sharon laughed, “but with teenage boys it doesn’t really last long enough to make much difference.” 

**

On Friday afternoon the two women walked through the airport towards the parking lot. Sharon’s suitcase rolled noisily behind them as they opened the door and set foot, once again, on solid Los Angeles ground. 

Brenda smiled, feeling the sun on her face, “when can I see you again?”

“You mean you’re not sick of me yet?” Sharon teased. 

Brenda scoffed, “a little,” she said playfully, “but I haven’t gotten laid in more than a week and I’d at least like to feel that situation out.” 

Sharon smiled, “how about dinner tonight? First we’ll dine out at Piccolo Paradiso and then we’ll retire to my place for dessert which will consist of homemade crème brulee and me.” 

Brenda grinned, “you really know the way to a girl’s heart.” Brenda wrapped her arms around Sharon. 

“You took care of me so well this past week it’s time I start returning the favor.” 

“You don’t have to.” 

“I want to.” 

Brenda kissed her softly, “well, I won’t argue.” The kiss deepened until they had to pull apart reluctantly and have a quick mental debate about whether the airport parking lot has cameras or if they could get away with having a quickie in the back of Sharon’s Chrysler Sebring. 

The last thing to lose contact were their hands as they parted.


	2. Chapter 2

Sharon’s hands fumbled around on the bedside table for her glasses with a groan. Brenda had kept her up very late and managed to sleep through the incessant ringing of Sharon’s cell phone. Slipping the glasses up her nose, she cleared her throat and picked up the phone. 

“Captain Raydor.”

“Sharon, good morning.” Tommy Delk greeted, “hope I didn’t wake you.”

“I was up.” She lied and slipped out of bed, not cruel enough to wake Brenda just yet. She slipped downstairs and settled on her couch. “What’s up?”

“I know it’s your day off but I was hoping I could get you to come in for a brief meeting.” 

“Uh-oh.” Sharon teased, “last time you asked me to come in you gave me the key to the city. I won’t go to any more ceremonies.”

Tommy was silent on the other end. 

“Tommy? Are you still there?” 

“It wouldn’t be a _big_ ceremony…” He bit his lip, “just the usual city hall promotion ceremony but with press coverage… the mayor wants to pin it on you himself.” 

“Tommy, this is ridiculous.”

“The press will forget about you soon enough, do not pass up this opportunity.” He said frankly, “you’re hot shit in the press right now because of your service record and the courthouse and rushing to the hospital with your father. You’ve got the press eating out of the palm of your hand, Villaraigosa wants to use you as the poster child for the LAPD. He wants you out of FID and into something that gets more press, probably your own unit; you can write your own ticket here. We both know you’ve wanted out of the basement and this is your chance.” 

It was Sharon’s turn to be silent. 

“Sharon?” 

Sharon sighed. “I just… I just feel like Villaraigosa is taking this crisis and turning it into a talking point and an election issue. We know this isn’t about me.”

“Of course we do.” Tommy scoffed, “and bask in the glory you’re being offered before the press knows it’s not about you. You’re a really good cop, you deserve this, _Deputy Chief_ Sharon Raydor.” 

“That does have a nice ring to it…” Sharon grinned despite herself. “I want into Cyber Crimes.”

“I’ll start the paperwork.” 

**

Abigail Lindon walked into the bedroom of the hacienda she was sharing with Jason Faulkner just outside of Mexico City. Jason hauled a duffel bag onto the bed and started stuffing it with money and clothes and ammunition. 

“Where are you going?” She furrowed her brow. 

“I’ve gotta get back to LA.” He snapped and grabbed the newspaper from the desk and threw it to her. “She made the fucking front page again.” 

“She got a promotion.” Lindon scoffed. “There’s something I thought would never happen for Raydor.” She tossed the paper back onto the bed. 

“She’s mocking us, Abigail.” Faulkner scoffed. 

“Going back to LA is suicide.” Lindon scowled. “You can’t just waltz back there. If Sharon Raydor is still in the paper for this it means that we haven’t been forgotten yet. Villaraigosa’s making a big stink about it. You’ll never get across the border.” 

Jason zipped up the duffel. “Well, I’m going with or without you. So, what’s it gonna be?”

Lindon let out an annoyed sigh, “christ, Jason… with. Just give me a minute to pack.”

**

“You wanted to see me, sir?” Sharon stood in the mayor’s office. 

“Yes, Deputy Chief Raydor,” he shook her hand with a grin, “I just wanted to touch base with you on a few things. I was wondering if you’d consider sitting down with a reporter who wants to do a feature on you.” 

“I suppose it would depend on what the focus of the piece would be.” 

“I like you, Raydor. You’ve got perspective, you’re a no bullshit woman, I respect that.” He sat back down behind his desk. “I wouldn’t ask you to do anything you don’t want to, of course, it’s just that you’ve become sort of the city’s hero and I think that our citizens would really benefit from hearing you speak about the issues that matter to you. Just think on it, don’t make any decisions now. Publication of your choice, contact whoever. Okay.” 

“I’ll think about it, thank you, sir.” They shook hands again and the mayor’s secretary made sure she had the mayor’s card. 

As Sharon descended the steps she pulled out her cell phone. “Hey. I just got out are you close?”

“Yes, ma’am, I’m trying to get out of this parking garage.” Brenda emphasized by honking her horn at a moron in a black SUV trying to cut in line. “ _Honestly_. No one knows how to drive in this city.”

“Okay, I’ll be on the city hall steps.” Sharon said distracted as her eyes followed a car rolling slowly in front of city hall. Sharon ended the call and slipped the phone into her pocket, eyes never leaving the nondescript car. 

The window rolled down and an arm with a gun emerged. 

“Everybody inside!” Sharon shrieked, pulling her own gun from her purse. Civilians and pedestrians screamed and scattered. 

The first shot rang out as Sharon darted toward a lamppost. It wasn’t much cover but it was slightly better than standing in the middle of the stairs. She held her gun up and aimed for the front tire. Before she could take the shot she felt something sear through her right shoulder. 

It registered only vaguely that she’d been shot. She gritted her teeth through the pain and squeeze off two rounds. One shattered the back window and one ricocheted off the hood. Unsurprisingly the shot to the right arm was effecting her marksmanship. 

The next shot from the car whizzed past Sharon’s head as she ducked low to the ground. She held her arm up, trying to keep it steady and emptied the rest of her clip. Three more hits to the car, all of them missing the tire. 

“Shit,” she fumbled in her purse for another clip, blood dripping down her arm soaking everything in her purse as she rooted. A wave of nausea rolled over her and she fought it back. She pulled out her cell phone, “Deputy Chief Sharon Raydor, need back up at city hall _now_ , compact black car, one shooter, one driver. I’ve been hit.” 

“Just take the shot, Jason, we can’t just wait here.” Lindon hissed, “just shoot her in the head already.” 

“Too quick…” he sneered, cocking the hammer and pulling the trigger. The bullet soared from the barrel at an upward trajectory and sliced through Sharon Raydor’s abdomen. 

Sharon groaned as she fell back into the grass. Her left hand weakly came up to touch the wound to press down on it in a vain attempt to stop the bleeding. The car sped off and Sharon stared up at the palm tree. She always thought that she’d see her life pass before her before she died but as she felt consciousness slipping away she found that all she could think was that _no one knows how to drive in this city_. 

A reporter who’d been in city hall rushed her cameraman outside to cover the unfolding events once the gunfire stopped. The last thing she saw was the blinking red light of a recording video camera as the reporter’s voice droned and faded.


	3. Chapter 3

Brenda saw the cruisers’ flashing lights, news vans and ambulance in front of city hall and came to a complete stop, cutting the engine and jumping out. Horns blared behind her before swerving around her car. 

Brenda ran over to the ambulance to see Sharon being lifted in. “Sharon…” Brenda set her jaw and grabbed hold of the door, “I’m coming with you.” 

“You family?”

“Yes.” The paramedic regarded her with suspicion. Brenda held up her badge, “and a police officer, get out of my way.” 

She pulled herself up into the bus. “Just stay out of the way.” The paramedic warned as he pulled the doors shut and signalled to the driver to go. Brenda sat in the corner and watched the paramedic rip Sharon’s shirt open and discard the bloody article. 

Brenda wiped at her eyes, thinking how mad Sharon would be to know that her Armani blouse was being treated so poorly. She imagined telling her to shut up and let the paramedics do their job and it made her smile a little. 

**

Brenda had taken up permanent residence in the waiting room and was considering getting her mail forwarded when Will Pope approached. “Brenda.”

She turned to him and rubbed her eyes. 

“Any news?” 

Brenda shook her head, “no. They won’t tell me anything since they found out I wasn’t family…”

“Yeah, they’re actually pretty mad about that.” Pope frowned. “Why don’t you go home? You look like you need some sleep.” 

Brenda shook her head, “nope. I’m not leaving this waiting room for anything.” 

“What’s this sudden attachment to your sworn enemy?” 

“I’m sleeping with her.” Brenda admitted. 

Will started laughing and when he was met with Brenda’s icy glare his eyes widened, “oh god, you’re serious…” 

A nurse in bloody scrubs stepped into the waiting room. Brenda stood immediately. “I’m sorry.” She said simply. 

Brenda’s face fell, “don’t be sorry! Just tell me she’s alright!” 

“I… can’t do that, ma’am.” The nurse responded somberly. “We did everything we could. The shot to her abdomen knicked the lung, she stopped breathing.” 

“No. Sharon Raydor is a fighter. She wouldn’t give up this easily. You shouldn’t give up.” Brenda insisted as tears began to fall. “You go back in there and you keep trying. Don’t you give up on her.” 

Pope took Brenda by the shoulders, “come on, Brenda.” 

“Let me go. I want to see her. I don’t believe you. I don’t believe she gave up.” 

“That’s… not advisable.” The nurse asserted, “but I can get you the bullet from her shoulder.” 

Brenda scowled and her bottom lip quivered and this time Pope was able to direct her away. “I’ll take you home.” 

“My car. It’s in front of city hall.” 

“Oh and your car was towed.” Pope said as he led her to his car. 

“ _Fan_ tastic…” 

**

“I was sad I couldn’t be there to see it for myself,” Faulkner started with a laugh, “but CNBC was nice enough to tape it for me. Look how she looks back up at the camera and her shoulders shake. I beat you, Sharon Raydor.”

“Honey, don’t talk to the tv.” Lindon scowled, pulling back from the window. 

“She thought she was so smart but she didn’t see that coming, did she?” Faulkner puffed up his chest, just as proud as a peacock. “Coming out of a meeting with the mayor. It’s poetic really.”

“What would you know about poetry?” Lindon scoffed. 

“Now we can go back to Mexico,” Faulkner grinned. 

“No. We can’t. We ditched the car but there are cops looking for us everywhere.” Lindon snapped, “we can’t just waltz out of here. I knew this would happen.” 

“No, you said we wouldn’t make it over the border but we did! And we’ll do it again!” 

“The difference was then we hadn’t just shot and killed the mayor’s new golden girl! There’s not a chance in hell we’re getting out of LA again. Not for a while.”

Faulkner shrugged and settled back on the bed, “we ditched the car. And as long as they keep playing the clip of Raydor dying on the news I’m fine here…”

Lindon sneered, “you really are a simp, Jason.”

“Hey shh, shh.” He pointed to the television. “Look at that. Do you see that? Isn’t that Chief Johnson getting into the back of the ambulance?” 

Lindon, temporarily distracted by this discovery, leaned closer to the television. “Yeah, so?”

“So? Everyone knows they hate each other. They’re constantly getting into pissing contents. Raydor wrote a scathing report on what a waste of resources Major Crimes is because Johnson’s always shutting her out of cases. I’ve run afoul of them before. Makes the whole damn case take twice as long because they don’t know how to share.” 

“Well, looks like they learned.” Lindon shrugged. 

Faulkner looked back to the television to see that the weather report had come on and he scowled. “Chief Johnson was at the court house, too…” 

“What are you getting at Jason?” 

**

Brenda went through the next few days in a haze. She’d wanted to get into Sharon’s house, to get something of Sharon’s to keep. The extra pillow in Brenda’s bedroom smelled like Sharon’s shampoo but it was already fading away. 

She’d tried calling Phillip but got voicemail both times. 

“Chief?” Gabriel asked cautiously. 

Brenda looked up at him and blinked a few times. “Yes, sergeant, what is it?”

“Agent Howard is here with the phone dump you requested?” Gabriel bit his lip. Brenda didn’t seem to register what he was saying. “You know, for the case?”

“Oh. Yes. Send him in, thank you, sergeant.” Brenda pushed a few papers around on her desk in a half-assed attempt to clean up her desk. 

Fritz entered the office and held out the folder marked confidential. “This is everything we have on Perez. I suspect that Interpol has more that they’re not willing to share. The last time I contacted their office they left me on hold for two hours before they disconnected me.” Fritz got closer to the desk, leaning down to look at Brenda better. “Brenda?”

She looked up at him. “Yes?”

“Did you hear what I said?”

Brenda sighed and grabbed the folder. “Yes,” she slid her glasses on, “something about Interpol disconnecting you. Thank you for these. These should be fine for now.” 

Fritz hesitated for a moment. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” Brenda said tersely, not looking up. Brenda wasn’t fine and she didn’t hide it very well. She was angry that Faulkner managed to get back into the city, she was angry that the city hall didn’t have better cover and she was angry that Sharon’s assassination had been given to the California Bureau of Investigation. 

“When’s the funeral?” 

“I don’t know.” Brenda snapped, “her son won’t take my call.” 

“Give him some time, he’s going through a lot.” 

“Fritz, please, excuse me, I’m actually pretty busy here.” Brenda pursed her lips. 

“Of course… if you need anything…” 

**

Brenda tripped over her purse on her way to the front door. It was just past six in the morning and Brenda hastily dressed to answer the door but her motor functions hadn’t caught up yet. 

She looked through the peep hole to see two men in suits and sunglasses and one of them held up a badge, “Chief Johnson?”

Brenda opened the door and regarded them questioningly. “Yes. Who are you?”

“I’m Agent Fitzgerald, this is Agent Osaka, we’re with the CBI and we need you to come with us.” Fitzgerald tucked his badge back into his coat. “You can pack a small bag but time is of the essence.” 

“Not until you tell me where we’re going.” Brenda crossed her arms across her chest stubornly. “I don’t care who you are, I don’t just get into cars.” 

“Your file was accessed late last night by someone using Jason Faulkner’s id and given his recent behaviour we think it would be best if we took you to a safe location until he’s apprehended.” 

Brenda blinked a few times. “Sure. Fine. Y’all aren’t letting me doing my own investigating so why should I even bother being in LA?” She retreated back into the house, muttering. She grabbed a suitcase and opened it only to find it was still full from her trip to Virginia. The scent that wafted up was undeniably Sharon and Brenda closed her eyes when she felt fresh tears well up. 

She emptied her candy drawer into the suitcase and closed it again. 

“Alright, boys.” She sighed, putting on her sunglasses. 

She didn’t love the idea of running and hiding but she knew that she could be more valuable to the investigation if she didn’t get shot. If only for the thought of Sharon telling her not to be stupid and to go to the safe house, she’d do it. 

She was silent in the car and the two CBI agents were as well. They drove up the coast and just as Brenda was starting to doze off from the soft lull of the motor the car pulled to a stop. 

They were stopped in front of a modestly sized house surrounded by woods. Brenda sighed and gripped her suitcase, getting out of the car. The agents did a sweep of the area while Brenda rolled her eyes. Finally they approached the house and knocked on the door. 

The peep hole opened and an eye peered out. Fitzgerald held up his badge while Brenda hung back with annoyance. 

Brenda heard the sounds of multiple locks being slid and turned and unchained before the door swung open. Brenda’s eyes widened and her mouth fell open in shock when she laid eyes on Sharon Raydor.


	4. Chapter 4

Sharon and Brenda stared at each other for a few long moments. “You two know each other, right?” Agent Osaka asked. 

Sharon scoffed and smirked, “in a manner of speaking.” 

“Good.” Osaka nodded, “we’re just dropping her off, we’ll be back later with more groceries. You’re doing okay?”

“I’d be doing better if I could talk to my sons.” Sharon pursed her lips. 

Osaka sighed, “you know you can’t. I wish you’d stop asking.” 

“I wouldn’t have to keep asking if you gave me the right answer.” Sharon said pointedly. 

Brenda started grinning. One week ago Sharon Raydor was bleeding to death outside Los Angeles city hall and here she was on her feet, tongue sharp as ever. The tired argument played out between Sharon and Osaka before the two agents bid adieu with promises to return with food. 

Sharon shut the door behind them and did up all the locks. She turned to Brenda and smiled. “It’s good to see you.” 

“Oh my Lord, Sharon, I’ve never been happier to see anyone than I am to see you right now.” Brenda stepped up and wrapped her arms around Sharon, “how are you feeling?”

Sharon sucked in a breath. “Oh, you know… _sore_ … I lost a kidney and a portion of my small intestine.” 

Brenda let go of her and stepped back embarrassedly. “Didn’t they give you pain killers?”

“Even morphine has its limits.” Sharon smiled weakly. “How about a kiss now and we hold off on the squeezing for a couple of weeks?”

“Why the _hell_ didn’t you call me?”

“I don’t have a phone. Do _you_ have a phone?” Sharon smirked. “Don’t I get a little credit for a miraculous recovery? Did you hear me say I lost a whole organ and yet here I stand to tell the tale?” 

“I was mourning you for a whole week! Your son wouldn’t take my calls. I was so _alone_.”

“Would it help assuage you any if I tell you I was in a medically induced coma until yesterday?” Sharon sighed, “I was _shot_. I didn’t _leave_ you. Speaking of which, what are you doing here?” 

“Faulkner accessed my file last night…” Brenda frowned and started to pace. 

“And you just rolled over and followed them here?” Sharon folded her arms gently across her chest, foresaking a little comfort for the punctuation of the gesture. “That doesn’t sound like you.” 

Brenda turned to Sharon and furrowed her brow. “Yeah, well… I’ve been doing a lot of things that aren’t like me this past week. I’ve been feeling like I didn’t have anything stable to hold onto.” 

“I’m sorry you felt like that.” Sharon said softly. “I never meant for you to feel like that.” 

Brenda shrugged, “you don’t have to apologize. I can accept that it wasn’t your decision.”

“Damn right it wasn’t my decision. If I should be anywhere it’s in Los Angeles. I know the Faulkner case better than anyone. I worked it for months.” 

“You didn’t know Lindon was in on it.” 

“I didn’t know it stretched outside the police force. With the new parameters I could expand and make a real working model of his operation.” 

“Oh forget it, Sharon. We’re exiled while the CBI cleans up our mess.” Brenda heaved a heavy sigh.

“That’s bullshit, this is my case!” Sharon protested and winced, wrapping a protective arm around her torso and sinking into a chair. “God. I feel like I’ve been hit my a mack truck.” 

Brenda pursed her lips in annoyance. “Can I get you anything?”

“Not if you’re going to have an attitude about it.” Sharon scowled and pushed herself up from the chair and walked carefully into the kitchen. 

“I waited in that waiting room. A nurse came out and told us you were dead.”

“Us?”

“Will was with me.” 

“He doesn’t waste any time.” Sharon rolled her eyes as she poured herself a glass of water. “You know, he’s a good bureaucrat, not a great cop but he’s pretty good at the administrative crap, but he’s a huge lech.”

“I can’t really argue with any of that.” Brenda shrugged. “I told him about us.”

“Exactly what about us did you tell him?” Sharon downed the glass of water and refilled it. 

“I told him we were sleeping together.”

“Is that all we’re doing?” Sharon set down the glass and turned her full attention to Brenda.

“I don’t know,” Brenda said with frustration, “is it?” 

Sharon snorted, “I can’t believe you even have to ask me that.” She walked down the hall, Brenda at her heels and opened the door to a bedroom and turned to face Brenda. “Do you mind?”

Brenda stopped short in surprise and was rewarded with a door slam. 

Brenda snarled and stomped off. She inspected the building and ascertained that there were two other bedrooms, a bath and a half – at least, provided Sharon’s room didn’t have an ensuite – and a den. The den was stocked with books and the kitchen table had a stack of newspapers from the previous week. 

Brenda settled at the table and opened up the newspapers, soon realizing that articles had been cut out. By process of elimination she could tell that Sharon had been cutting out all of the articles about Jason Faulkner and the ensuing CBI investigation. She started to look around the kitchen for the missing articles and, not finding them, expanded her search. 

Finally, she had to give up and assume that Sharon had them with her in the bedroom. 

Brenda sat back down at the table and looked through the baseball stats. She didn’t care about baseball but while she’d been married to Fritz she’d made a habit of looking through the rows of numbers. It became the most effective meditation she’d ever practiced. Her mind was so bored that it enabled her to focus on whatever problems she was having with a case. It was a win-win because it made Fritz think she cared about his things. 

_Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 7,973, 3,967, 4,003, .498, -36, 1, 1, 849, 10, 34,352, 270,747, 69,806, 6,675…_

She was so distracted that she was distracted from distraction. She got off the stool and stormed down the hall to Sharon’s room and slammed her palm into the door. “Sharon, open up!” 

“Grow up, Johnson.” 

“Yeah, I’ll just storm off to this other room and lock myself in.” 

There was a long pause. “Door’s not locked.” 

Brenda took the knob and turned it and it swung open. “Oh.” Brenda stepped into the room. Sharon had taken down a painting off one of the walls and tacked up all the articles onto the empty wall. The entire left side of the wall was filled with sheets of lined notebook paper that she took notes on. 

“I thought you were dead.” Brenda said softly, “I watched them cut your blouse off your body. The paramedics had to stop your bleeding in the front and back. I heard your vitals fading… I wanted to punch the nurse who told me you didn’t make it. I was angry that you weren’t coming back, I spent the week wondering what I was going to do without you… we’ve only been together for two weeks and already I don’t know what I’d do without you.” 

Sharon put down her pen and walked up to Brenda. She took her by the hand and led her to sit on the bed. Sharon cupped Brenda’s cheek and drew her in for a long, sensual kiss. “I’m really glad you’re here.” She said in between kisses. 

“If I should be anywhere it’s wherever you are.” 

“That’s sweet.” 

“I’m serious.”

Sharon smiled, “I know you are. That’s… scary _and_ thrilling.”

Brenda cast her eyes downward to Sharon’s stomach. She remembered the older woman’s firm stomach, the feel of the abdominal muscles and had trouble reconciling the idea that anything had changed. “Can I see?”

Sharon laid back on the bed and pulled up her shirt slowly, careful to avoid catching the stitches on the fabric. Brenda was enraptured; the creamy expanse of Sharon’s stomach was intersected by a curving line of red skin, held together by dark black knots. The softer parts near her belly button boasted fading bruises. 

“Oh, Sharon,” Brenda whispered, leaning down and kissing the skin softly. It was just as warm as she remembered and the hand splayed across Sharon’s side could feel the rush of her pulse. For the first time since she’d arrived she really understood that Sharon was alive. Really and truly alive. Her eyes welled up with tears and she bit her lip to keep from crying audibly. 

Sharon felt the warm tears, cool against her hot skin, slide down the curve of her side. She lifted her head, “Brenda, are you crying?”

“Did it hurt a lot?” 

“More than childbirth.” Sharon admitted, “but not for as long. I think the paramedics got there pretty quickly.” 

“They must have, it didn’t take me long to get to you after we hung up and they were already putting you into the ambulance when I got there.” Brenda moved to lay next to Sharon, she curled up against her body and Sharon’s fingers absently ran through Brenda’s hair. “I was so scared.”

“I’ll tell you one thing,” Sharon said authoritatively. “No one shoots a Raydor and gets away with it.” 

**

Sharon wasn’t supposed to emmerse her stitches in water so she enlisted Brenda’s help in a sponge bath. Brenda happily obliged. She ran the sponge up and down the long muscular legs, over the ample swell of her breasts – relishing in watching her twitch when she passed over a sensitive nipple. She massaged the tense back muscles and gently touched the smaller wound in her shoulder. 

“It barely penetrated,” Sharon said, “it probably hit something else before it hit me, slowed it down enough.”

Brenda leaned down and kissed it. At very few points in her life had Brenda allowed herself the idle fantasy of murdering a loathsome perp but as she washed Sharon’s damaged body she couldn’t help but imagining what it would be like to kill Jason Faulkner. 

Once the bath was over she washed Sharon’s hair in the sink. 

Sharon took a morphine and fell asleep. She awoke to Brenda standing in front of the wall, she’d extended the notebook paper wall so that she could take her own notes without encroaching on Sharon’s. Scanning the wall she saw that Brenda had rearranged a few things and added a few of the articles about Sharon that Sharon hadn’t bothered with. 

“Looks like you’ve been busy.”

Brenda turned around and smiled, “hope you don’t mind. I just had some thoughts about the case.” 

“Not at all.” Sharon held her stomach protectively as she lifted her body from the bed, careful not to use her abdominal muscles. “Why’d you put up the articles of me?”

“Because you’re part of the case. I mean, you weren’t until he shot you, of course, but you’re an aspect now because he came back to Los Angeles to shoot you. You piss him off.” 

“So putting up an article about my promotion helps you?”

Brenda smirked. “ _Yes_. Obviously your success on the back of thwarting his courthouse fireworks show is why he’s so mad.” Brenda pulled the article down, “if you’d rather I start my own board in my room…” 

“In _your_ room?” Sharon repeated, putting a hand on her hip in defiance. “You’re not sleeping with me?” 

Brenda furrowed her brow in earnest, “you’re not worried I’ll hurt you? I like to cuddle in my sleep, you know.” 

“We can always give it a shot, can’t we?” Sharon shrugged. “I’m dying to feel a warm body against mine.” 

“But you’ll settle for me?” 

Sharon grinned, “if I have to.” She pulled her in for a sweet kiss. 

Brenda pulled back with a content sigh, “I think I’m going to make some coffee.” 

“There isn’t any. Caffeine spikes blood pressure and that could be bad for my recovery.” Sharon stated. When Brenda turned a look of incredulity in her direction Sharon held up her hands, “nurse’s words, not mine.” 

“Alright. I’ll make some tea.” 

The two women were walking down the hall when there was a knock on the door. “Go shut the door to the bedroom.” Sharon whispered and walked up to the front door. She opened the peep hole and peered through to see the agents wielding their badges and began opening the door. 

“Evening, Chief.” Fitzgerald greeted as he and Osaka carried in a couple of bags of food. 

Osaka set his bag down on the table and reached in and extracted a couple of newspapers. “The papers.” He set them down. “Do you need help putting these away?”

Sharon shook her head. “No.” 

Brenda joined the three in the kitchen. 

“Chief Johnson, are you settling in okay?” Fitzgerald asked. 

She nodded curtly, “fine. Thank you. I could use some coffee, though.” 

“Of course, we’ll pick that up on our next trip.” 

“And some candy. You know, like those bags of candy, like for Halloween, haven’t they started selling those? Doesn’t matter what it is as long as it’s chocolate.” 

Sharon reached into the bags and started to put the groceries away. She wondered how fresh the vegetables were. Back in Los Angeles Sharon was an avid farmer’s market advocate but she figured the CBI just stopped at a supermarket on the way up. At least they weren’t frozen vegetables. 

Brenda opened the Los Angeles Free Press and her eyes widened when she saw the article. “Sharon,” Brenda said standing from the stool, “you should take a look at this.” 

Sharon took the paper from her and her features distorted into a scowl. The words WAS SHARON RAYDOR IN ON IT THE WHOLE TIME? taunted her from the front page, accompanied by a picture of her with her father at the key to the city ceremony.


	5. Chapter 5

She refolded the paper and set it down, keeping her ire to herself. “Agent Osaka?” 

He looked up from checking his phone. “Hm?”

“I was thinking. I had a question today about my stitches and Chief Johnson wanted coffee but we have no way of getting in touch with you…”

“I can’t give you a phone.” Osaka said with a sigh.

“No, no. I know that. I don’t want a phone. I think that if you were to give us a laptop that only communicated with your devices we’d have an open line of communication between us. I mean, wouldn’t that be a win-win for both parties?” 

Osaka looked at her with suspicion for a long moment before Fitzgerald chimed in. “Osaka, don’t be such a stinge. That’s a great idea, it’ll save us some trips.” 

“Thank you, Agent Fitzgerald.” Sharon smiled and took a seat at the table. Brenda sat across the table from her and watched her questioningly. Sharon avoided looking at Brenda while Fitzgerald and Osaka completed their check of the grounds and left them to their own devices again. 

“Are you okay?” Brenda asked.

Sharon nodded, “I’m fine. It’s not true. It won’t stick. But I’m not just going to lie back and take it.” 

Brenda furrowed her brow, “so… do you have a plan?” 

Sharon put on the kettle for tea and then took a seat at the table again, “right now, I plan on reading this article and then adding it to the wall. Would you like to help me go through the papers?”

“Why not?” Brenda shrugged, joining Sharon. 

**

Brenda’s eyes shot open and her heart wrenched in panic as Sharon’s scream pierced the still night air. “Sharon?” Brenda gently pawed the covers out of the way to touch her fingertips to her stomach to make sure that she hadn’t ripped her stitches out.

Sharon’s breathing began to slow to normal, she swallowed and gritted out, “it’s the morphine… it wears off in the middle of the night. Can I have…” 

Brenda picked up the glass of water and the pill from the night table and held it up to Sharon. She took it gratefully and swallowed the pill dry and washed it down with the water. 

She laid back against her pillow and winced, reaching down to trace the stiff stitches. “I’m okay… I’m okay…” 

“Do you dream about it?”

“I don’t know. I don’t remember.” Sharon pushed the tank top back down, prodding her side again to test whether or not it was still bruised. “I don’t think so.” 

Brenda brushed sweat matted hair off Sharon’s forehead. “You’re sweating.” She laid a hand over her forehead, “are you comfortable?”

“The nurse said that my body temperature would probably be high while it’s healing.” 

“How long does the morphine take to work?”

“Like any other pill. A watched pot never boils though.” Sharon let out a slow breath. “It shouldn’t take long…”

“Are you in a lot of pain?”

“It’s manageable.” Sharon shrugged. 

Brenda curled up next to her and kissed her cheek. Sharon turned her head and kissed her lips. Brenda’s kisses trailed down Sharon’s neck. “Just relax,” she whispered, “I’m going to be very gentle. I’m just going to kiss. Just relax.” 

Sharon let her eyes flutter shut, repeating the mantra that she trusted Brenda… Brenda eased Sharon’s tank top up until her breasts were exposed. Ever sensitive to Sharon’s hypersensitive nipples she paid a lot less attention to her breasts as she would have liked. She trailed featherlight kisses down between Sharon’s breasts and kissed to the top of the curved wound. 

She kissed down both sides of the stitches, fingers softly carress Sharon’s sides. Sharon let content mmms during Brenda’s attentions. 

Sharon’s hips were tense when Brenda arrived at them. Her fingers kneaded the tight muscles until they relaxed and Brenda replaced her fingertips with her lips, leaning her warm torso over Sharon’s thighs. 

Sharon whimpered. Brenda extended her tongue slowly and Sharon’s hand flew up to stop her. “You’re leading me straight into sexual frustration. You know that, right?” 

“I can’t just… say hello?” Brenda wiggled her fingers and wore her most hopeful smile. 

“I’m sorry. I think I need a few more days.” 

Brenda kissed Sharon’s thigh. “I can wait.” 

“I appreciate that.” Sharon smiled. Brenda snuggled up to Sharon’s side and wrapped her arm loosely around her chest away from the stitches. “I think the morphine’s working… I’m getting sleepy.”

“Thank goodness, me too.” Brenda murmured against Sharon’s shoulder. 

Sharon yawned and turned her head to nuzzle Brenda’s soft blonde waves. “I have a plan.” She whispered. 

“Mm. Good.” Brenda whispered back before drifting off to sleep. 

**

Brenda awoke to an empty bed. She pulled on her skirt and sweater over the t-shirt and underpants that passed as pyjamas and padded out to the kitchen. Sharon was at the door, confirming Osaka and Fitzgerald. 

“Morning,” she said over her shoulder. 

Brenda smiled sleepily. 

Osaka carried in a laptop case. “I brought you the computer you asked for.” He walked it into the den with Sharon at his heels. Brenda looked over at Fitzgerald setting up the coffee pot and noted the lack of candy bags. She sighed inwardly and followed Osaka and Sharon into the den. 

“Okay,” Osaka said as he set the laptop down on the desk and powered it up. “This is a pretty basic Acer 2GB Ram netbook. Do you know much about computers?”

Brenda thought that he might as well be speaking Greek and she watched Sharon’s hair bounce as she shook her head. 

“I could show you how to use it, if you’d like.” 

“Please.” Sharon smiled and tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear flirtaciously. 

Brenda huffed and excused herself. In the kitchen the coffee was already percolating and Fitzgerald had stepped outside. The door was ajar and, not having been out since the day before, she found the call of nature alluring. 

The sun was warm on her face as she stepped down the couple steps. Fitzgerald turned, “ma’am, it’s safer for you inside.” 

“Just stretching my legs.” Brenda crossed her arms across her chest, “Raydor and I aren’t civvies. We’re both police officers. I was in the CIA and she was in the Navy. There’s really no need to treat us like we’re naïve.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it, ma’am.” 

“So what’s going on in LA? How are y’all explaining my sudden disappearance?”

“Well, the Chief of Police and Assistant Chief Will Pope know that you’re in protective custody, your family hasn’t been told anything, our records show that your family lives in Georgia and you hardly ever talk to them so we didn’t bother.” 

Brenda pursed her lips, annoyed at how true it was. If Brenda died and someone forgot to call Clay and Willie Rae? She could be dead for months before anyone from Georgia even knew. 

“And according to the newspapers you jumped ship after Raydor was gunned down because you’re dirty and afraid of similar retaliation from Faulkner.” 

Brenda snorted. “And I’m supposed to take that crap lying down? Almost thirty years of service to my country means nothing?”

Fitzgerald gave her an earnest smile, “I’d feel the same way you do but I like to think that I’d trust my brothers in blue to do their jobs.” 

“I do… I do trust y’all. That’s not the problem. It’s just that even criminals get a chance to say their piece. Sharon and I are taking a beating from the press and Sharon hasn’t even been in the ground for ten days, so to speak.” Brenda sighed. “I need to know that _you_ know that that pain in the ass in there is one of the most honest, hardworking, dedicated, painfully meticulous cops that’ve ever taken the oath. And she takes the oath _seriously_. She believes in our system, she believes that people are good. You don’t know Sharon so you may not know these things because she keeps to herself and she’s foolishly humble and selfless to a fault.” 

“We’re just following the evidence. No more, no less. We’re impartial _because_ we don’t know her and we don’t know you. If we thought there was any validity to the press’s conspiracy theories you’d be in _holding_ not protective custody.”

Brenda considered this for a moment and nodded. After a few moments of silence she added, “you forgot my candy.”

“No, I didn’t.” Fitzgerald smiled and lead her over to the car. Leaning across the front seat he pulled a Reese’s from the cupholder and held it out to her. 

She accepted it, “thank you.” It wasn’t a stash, but it was a start. “I can get a big bag next time you bring groceries?”

“You have my word.” 

“Hey Terri,” Osaka leaned out the door, “can you come help me explain this?”

He looked at Brenda for a moment. She was opening the package, “I’m just going to eat my Reese’s and I’ll be right inside.” She assured him, waving him to go into the house. He nodded and disappeared behind Osaka. 

Brenda pulled open the door to the SUV and pulled herself up into the driver’s seat. She started rooting through the receipts. She found several receipts for gas, thumbing through them she found the most recently dated. She glanced at the fuel guage and saw that it was pretty close to full. SUV like that probably didn’t get great gas mileage, they gased up pretty close.

Brenda grabbed a pen and used the white cardboard from the Reese’s to write down the address of the gas station. She wanted to know where she was if nothing else, she’d seen signs on the way up but none of the names meant anything to her. Thinking Sharon was dead, there hadn’t been much that meant anything to her in the last week. 

She jumped out of the car and shut the door quietly, shoving the cardboard into her pocket and hustled back to the house. 

“You two all set for a while?” Osaka asked Brenda as she entered. “You should have groceries enough for a few days and if you need anything you can get in touch with us through the computer. Sharon can show you how.” 

“Thanks.” Brenda poured herself a cup of coffee and hung back in the kitchen. 

The agents let themselves out and Sharon locked the door again. Sharon turned back to Brenda and met the annoyed stare, “what?”

“Why didn’t you just give him a lap dance?” 

“Are you going to have a cow every time I talk to a man?”

“You were batting your eyelashes so hard I thought you were going to take off.” Brenda finished her coffee and set it in the sink. 

“I don’t know if you’ve ever noticed but people tend to be nicer to you when you’re nice to them. Obviously you’ve never experienced that, I’ll explain it to you some time.” 

“Oh save it.” Brenda sneered, “you’re the woman who made the entire Vice squad go on strike, two of them quit.” 

Sharon’s brow was knit in annoyance. “Which was absolutely not my fault. That stuff gets written in files but no one ever talks about what really happened. I don’t have to defend myself to you.” 

“I’m going to take a shower.” Brenda turned on her heel and slammed the bathroom door behind her. Unlike Sharon, when Brenda had a hissy fit and stormed off, she _did_ lock doors.


	6. Chapter 6

Standing under the hot water, Brenda was annoyed with herself more than anything. She knew that getting up in arms over the flirting was probably just a reaction to the fact that she hadn’t had coffee for almost 24-hours and now since she’d had her fix, her brain was working better. 

Not perfectly… but better. 

The steam in the bathroom was relaxing and she let the water stream over her, felt the tension in her muscles melting away. There was nothing so relaxing as a long hot, steamy shower. When she got out she would apologize or they’d snipe at each other again to restore status quo. 

Brenda got out and towelled off. In the bedroom she chose her outfit – one of three that she’d packed. She’d chosen comfort clothes mostly and was glad that Sharon had had the fortitude not to comment. 

When Brenda stepped into the den again it looked like Sharon had thrown a fit and taken apart every electronic device in the house. “What on earth?” 

Sharon looked up from the desk, screwdriver in hand she blinked once. “What?” 

“What have you done to all of these poor electronicy things?”

Sharon snorted and grinned. “If I explained it to you would you even know what I was talking about?”

Brenda pulled a plush chair up to Sharon’s workspace, “try me.” 

“Alright,” Sharon sat back, “I’ve made a makeshift flash drive out of the solid state memory in the digital camera and I’m using wires from the television to get a broader range out of this internet connection.”

“Why make all this stuff?”

“Because I’m not going to sit on my ass while Faulkner and Lindon are still out there.” Sharon turned back to the computer, running lines of code. 

“How do you know how to do all this stuff?” 

Sharon grinned, “one of the best perks of the American military is that they pay for continuing education. I was a systems analyst and a technician. I could take this computer apart and put it back together in my sleep. And for the record, I was flirting with Osaka because he’s liable to be less upset when he realizes he’s been had.” 

“Or _more_.” Brenda scoffed. “If you pretend you like someone and then screw them over that… sucks.” 

“What’s done is done.” Sharon shrugged as she worked at the computer. 

“Did you have to take everything apart?”

“I needed to see what my options were.” Sharon explained, “I could have done more if I’d had a sauldering iron. I’m in!” 

Brenda put her glasses on and leaned in to see what Sharon was so triumphant about. She’d made it to the login screen for LAPD. “Good job, Captain.”

Sharon looked at her and grinned, “ _Deputy Chief_ , remember?”

“How could I forget…” 

“Can I ask you a favor?”

“You can ask.” 

“If I log in here it’s going to get flagged immediately because the system doesn’t know that I’m not dead. I can probably get to LA before they can stop me… but if you were to log in, no one would notice until the next time someone checked in to the files.” Sharon said, “I know it’s asking a lot. What I’m planning on doing will be against the law and you’d be an accessory.”

“Save your breath.” Brenda snorted, “my username is JOHNSONBL and my password is 9QRX7ZCA and I’m not letting you go back to LA without me.” 

“There’ve been a few recent additions to the Faulkner case file…” Sharon trailed off, reading. 

Brenda turned the screen so that she could get a better look. “Says they got a tip that he’d been staying at some dive motel in West Hollywood but he was gone when they got there… fingerprints from Lindon and Faulkner confirms they were there.” 

“And they found the nondescript black car a block away, still had two of my bullets in it.” Sharon read. “If I had just shot into the car instead of trying to get the tires…” 

Brenda put her hand over Sharon’s, “no use dwelling now.” 

“No sign of them leaving the city…” Brenda took her glasses off and rubbed her eyes. “This is ridiculous, Sharon, how are we going to find them if the LAPD can’t? They actually have all the evidence and the means to question witnesses.”

“I know where they are!” Sharon exclaimed suddenly, standing up. 

“What?” Brenda demanded, “Sharon…” 

“Get ready to go, Brenda, I know where they are.” Sharon made haste to the bedroom. “How long did it take you to get here?”

“Um…” Brenda appeared in the doorway, “don’t really remember…”

“What time did you leave?”

“Oh. Well, they woke me up.” 

“So… early?” 

“Wait,” Brenda dug the cardboard square out of her pocket, “I think we’re near… shoot, I can’t read my own writin’… starts with a b…” 

“San Bernadino?”

Brenda snorted, “does _San_ Bernadino start with a b?”

Sharon put a hand on her hip. “Bagdad?”

“There’s a _Bagdad_ , California?” Brenda demanded.

“Oh, give me that.” She snatched the cardboard away from Brenda before she could protest. “It says Barstow.” 

“Oh, I remember now…” Brenda walked up to Sharon and took her by the shoulders and made her stop for a moment. “One step at a time. How do you propose we get back to LA?” 

“Okay, I had two thoughts, don’t know if you’ll like either of them… first, there’s public transportation, like a bus, the fatal flaw in that plan is that we don’t have money… or second, there’s hitchhiking.”

Brenda rolled her eyes, “Sharon, let’s be real. We can’t just _hitchhike_ , it’s dangerous, it’s reckless – especially for women. We could get murdered or raped. Or both.” 

“There has to be an age at which the likelihood of getting raped goes significantly down.” 

“Maybe there’s an expiration date if you’re not _gorgeous_ , Sharon, I’m not letting you hitchhike and that _is_ an order.”

“We’re the same rank now.”

“Damnit.” Brenda snorted, “I keep forgetting that… fine, then I’m pulling the I’m your girlfriend and I’m not going to let you get yourself killed and that’s final.” 

“What about a compromise? What if we can find a woman driver? We can agree that a woman is statistically less likely to kill us and a hundred percent less like to rape us?” 

**

Brenda was lucky that Sharon knew where she was going and what she was doing because, walking away from the sun they headed west in the vague direction of Los Angeles. Every other step Sharon let out an almost imperceptible whimper. 

The only thing they took from the house was the computer and the flash drive that Sharon had fashioned with all of their data. 

“A gas station,” Sharon pointed to the sign in front of them, “two miles from here.” 

“Sharon, you’re going to kill yourself. Just take a morphine.” Brenda rolled her eyes at the stubborness of her travelling companion – not bother to even make a mental note that she herself would be just as stubborn in the same situation. 

Sharon shook her head, her breathing harder, “I’m fine. It’s just a little discomfort. I’ve been trained at every possible point in my life to endure. This is manageable. I will stop if I think it’s perilous to my health. I promise.” There was a long pause, “the morphine makes me sleepy. I can’t sleep right now.” 

“I mean it, if you die for real this time, I’m not going to mourn you because I’ll know it was your own stupid fault.” Brenda grumbled.

Sharon grinned and laughed, stopping and turning to kiss Brenda. “You’d miss me.” 

By the time they made it to the gas station, Brenda was beginning to think that Sharon had suffered some brain damage, and that she must have too to go along with this harebrained scheme. Maybe she’d have to sedate Sharon, get her back to the house and pretend that none of this ever happened. 

Sharon walked into the parking lot and up to a Toyota Corrola with a UCLA sticker. A young woman came out of the store with a bag of Doritos and regarded Sharon strangely, “can I help you?”

“Are you on your way back to LA?” Sharon asked. 

“Yeah…” 

“We’re police officers with the LAPD, I’m Deputy Chief Sharon Raydor, that’s Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson and we need to get back to LA.” Sharon dug into her pocket and produced the clipping of her and her father at the ceremony. “See? This is me.” 

The girl looked took the clipping in her hand and looked up at Sharon and back down to the clipping a few more times. “Yeah… the lady cop who got the key to the city. We talked about it in my Women’s Studies class… but… you got shot… and died.” 

Sharon pulled up the bottom of her shirt to show the girl the stitches, “half right.” 

The girl furrowed her brow. “It is you… what are you doing without a car in Barstow?” 

“Well, it’s a long story that I would be happy to tell you on our drive.” Sharon managed a smile. “And I’d like to offer you that laptop over there for your troubles.” 

Brenda held up the computer bag, “please, you’d really be doing us a huge favor.” 

The girl hesitated for another few moments before she smiled and said, “I’m Sara.”

**

About fifteen minutes into the drive Sharon’s morphine got the better of her and she curled up asleep in the backseat wth Sara’s duffel bag. 

Brenda drummed her fingers on the laptop case on her lap wishing she had something sweet to eat. “So, are you from LA?” Brenda asked, having noted tha the license plate was California.

“No, I’m from Barstow, I was just visiting my parents.” Sara looked into the rear-view mirror, “is she okay?”

“She’s fine. The morphine makes her sleepy.” Brenda chewed on her fingernail. Sitting in the car she was finally beginning to realize the weight of what they were doing, they were escaping from protective custody to hunt down a dangerous fugitive. 

“Mind if I turn the radio on?” 

Brenda shrugged, “it’s fine.” 

The music came on and roused Sharon out her sleep, she reached around the seat and touched Brenda’s arm. Brenda turned, “how are you feeling?”

“I’m okay.” 

“You should try and rest, we’ve got a ways to go yet.” 

Sharon spent the next couple of hours drifting in and out of sleep. Sara stopped just outside of LA for gas, another bag of Doritos and bought Sharon a water. 

“Oh, that was very sweet of you.” Sharon accepted it and drank half of it in one go. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. “I’ll reimburse you when we get back to the city.” 

Sara waved her off, “don’t worry about it.” 

**

Sara dropped them off at Sharon’s house because it was on the way to UCLA, whereas Brenda’s was on the other side and they would’ve had to double back. 

Sharon’s car was in the garage where she’d left it the morning she and Brenda went into downtown. The morning she met with the mayor. The morning she was shot. She kicked over the fake rock in the front yard and let them into the house. 

Brenda couldn’t stop herself from inhaling the scent of Sharon. Sharon went straight up to her bedroom where she retrieved a box from the back of the closet. From the box she pulled two kevlar vests and tossed one to Brenda. 

“Alright, so where are we going?” 

“Old factory on Lex, right near where it intersects with fifth.” Sharon secured the vest on her chest and she grabbed her belt from her police uniform and strapped it on. Lastly she pulled a trench and pulled it on, tying it closed. “How do I look?”

“Like the walking dead.” Brenda snorted, she dug around in the box for a gun of her herself. “Your face is pretty well known these days.”

“I have big sunglasses.”

Brenda laughed.


	7. Chapter 7

Brenda and Sharon had a quick bite to eat, only having the non-perishable items to choose from. Brenda stuffed her pockets with anything she could find that contained sugar. 

Sharon backed her Sebring out of the garage. She had insisted on driving despite the discomfort she felt, but she wanted to get to the factory before next Christmas. “The factory was owned by Lindon’s cousin. It’s been defunct for years.”

“Why are you the only one who’ll know this?” 

“Lindon’s cousin isn’t biological, he’s the nephew of a former boyfriend of her mother’s, they stayed friends. I met him once or twice in conjunction with a case. He was afraid for his business so he started spouting about his relationship with Lindon.” 

“She’d go to the factory and not to his place?”

“He moved when the factory failed. The factory is the one place left that she could have intimate knowledge of that she’s betting won’t get linked to her.” 

“But you’re too smart for that.” Brenda shook her head, looking out the window as the streets of LA passed. Sharon winced as they turned a corner. “You’re going to kill yourself.”

“I’ll be fine.” Sharon said pointedly. “Work, that’s what I need.”

Brenda fingered the gun at her hip. “When we get there, Sharon, I’m running point, you will take to the high ground and cover me. That is not a request. I am not telling you this as an officer, I am telling you as a concerned girlfriend, lover, friend, whatever. Got it? I am not letting you take another bullet. Not in this lifetime.” 

For all of Sharon’s stuborness and insistences that she was fine she understood her limitations and nodded her ascent. “Fine.” 

Sharon parked the car a block from the factory and the trudged the rest of the way. “Do you want the belt?” Sharon asked softly. 

“I only need the glock and the extra rounds.” Brenda answered just as softly. 

“When we get there we’ll look for the rear door, there should be stairs that go up to the top. I’ll go up and scout it out and keep a visual on you.” 

“Is that our only plan?”

Sharon pulled her spare set of handcuffs from the belt and held them out to Brenda. “One for her, one for him. We bring them in.” 

Brenda stopped them at the door and pulled Sharon in for a kiss. “I love you. Remember that.” 

“Hard to forget it.” Sharon whispered. “If we get out of this alive, I’m gonna marry you.” 

“You _really_ think we’re going to die in there.” Brenda laughed. “Nice vote of confidence.”

The door opened with a soft creak and Brenda and Sharon entered, covering the room, Sharon took the stairs and ascended. Brenda, weapon out proceeded along the wall going right. 

Sharon stayed in the shadows as she took in her surroundings. She treaded lightly along the metal, keeping her footsteps inaudible. In the corner she saw a crumpled figure, her heart started to pound, she stepped closer and the figure did not move. 

Once she’d reached it she pressed the muzzle of the gun against it and whispered, “Lindon?” 

Lindon turned over with a start and gasped when she saw the gun. Sharon clamped a hand over her mouth. “Do not scream for Faulkner or I will shoot you.” Slowly Sharon removed her hand and Lindon swallowed hard. 

“Christ alive… Sharon Raydor?” Lindon’s eyes were wide. 

Sharon took out her handcuffs and clamped one around her wrist. “No, please,” Lindon pleaded quietly, “I’m hiding from Jason, if you cuff me and he finds me it’s over.” 

Sharon finished cuffing her, “you’re coming with me, just stay close.” 

“I’ll talk, I’ll tell you everything. I used to believe in what Jason said, he talked about justice but it’s about vengeance and it’s violent and those aren’t my values.” 

“Will you shut up?” Sharon hissed.

Meanwhile, downstairs Brenda encountered a row of offices. She stepped closer and heard movement inside one of the offices but with the echo it was hard to tell which. She pushed open the door to the first one and did a sweep to find it clean. 

The door slammed against the wall and she heard a shot from an office further down. She ran away from the offices into the tangle of machinery and Jason Faulkner emerged from the middle office, gun held high looking around. 

“Abigail?” He cocked the gun, “that you, baby?” 

Brenda held her gun up but he moved and her target was obscured by the machinery. She chanced a glance upward to see if Sharon was around. She couldn’t see her but then again she couldn’t see much of anything. 

Brenda’s hands moved around to find something that she could throw, if she could divert his attention she could draw him into her vision. Clutching a mash of metal cogs she threw it through the open doorway. 

Jason ran to the office and poked his head in. 

“ _LAPD, freeze!_ ” Brenda screamed, “I’ve got you in my sights, Faulkner, don’t even think about taking another step.” 

Jason turned slowly, his hands up. He looked in Brenda’s direction before ducking quickly. She squeezed off a shot that hit the wall behind him, she cursed and he started running, darting through the machinery.

Sharon listened intently as soon as she heard Brenda’s voice. She heard two sets of footsteps start running. “Just stay here,” she said to Lindon as she hurried along the walk no longer concerned with the sound. 

“No, please!” Lindon screeched at Sharon’s retreating form. 

Brenda didn’t know how many exits there were in the building and she was hoping she’d find him before he found one. A shot whizzed by about twenty feet from her and she ducked lower as she ran. 

“Brenda, I’ve got him, he’s heading back toward the back exit!” Sharon called. 

Brenda looked up, still unable to see her. 

Faulkner faltered when he heard the voice. He skidded to a halt and looked around. “It can’t be. Not a chance in hell…” He ran to the wall and threw the light switch. 

Sharon Raydor was suddenly washed in the glow of overhead lights. The walk had only a thin railing and provided absolutely no cover. Gun pointed at Faulkner she attempted to steady herself. 

“Come back for more?” He snickered, gun aimed at her chest. 

“Freeze, Faulkner.” She growled. “This can’t end well for you.” 

“You know what?” He grinned, “that’s fine, as long as it doesn’t end well for you either.”

He pulled back the hammer of his gun and a shot rang out. Sharon dropped to the ground, the pain searing through her stomach. Faulkner howled in pain, his gun clattering to the ground and Brenda stepped out from the tangle of machines. She kicked the gun away from him.

“You are under arrest, you son of a bitch.” Brenda grabbed the injured hand first and he screamed again, “you have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.” 

“Fucking bitch…” Jason sputtered. 

“You have the right to an attorney, if you cannot afford an attorney one will be appointed to you. Have you heard and understood these rights?”

“I know my fucking rights, I’m a cop.” 

Brenda slapped him hard across the face with the barrel of her gun, “ _never_ let me hear you say those words again.” 

“That’s police brutality.” He snarled. 

“Suspect was resisting arrest.” Brenda shrugged. 

The telltale sound of approaching sirens filled the air. Brenda looked up questioningly, wondering who had called the cavalry. Lindon appeared out of the machines. Brenda turned her gun on her. 

“Don’t shoot. Unarmed and handcuffed.” Lindon called. “I called the police.” 

“Abigail,” Faulkner growled, “I could kill you for this! You fucking bitch, you said we were partners.” 

“I didn’t sign up to kill people, Jason. All I can say is thank _God_ Sharon Raydor’s alive.” Abigail spat. 

“Sharon,” Brenda looked up to the loft. Sharon was still on her back but she was moving. 

Uniformed police officers burst into the room, nodding to Brenda whose kevlar proudly proclaimed ‘Police.’ “Take these two into custody. He’s going to need medical attention. Get a separate bus for Chief Raydor.” 

As officers were escorting Faulkner and Lindon out of the building, the remaining one gawked at her last statement, “did you say _Raydor_?”

“Do _not_ question my orders!” Brenda snapped. “Just do it!” 

The chastized officer pulled his walkie out and started to call it in as Brenda hurried up the stairs to check on Sharon. 

Sharon had unbuttoned her trench coat and was feeling the vest for any hint of an impact. “I didn’t get shot, did I?” She asked, voice a little strained. 

“No, I shot his gun out of his hand before he could shoot.” Brenda started to undo her kevlar, “you just ducked and fell to the ground.”

“Oh good.” Sharon laughed weakly, “they say that people start to act like their partners but I thought I’d have a little more time before my coordination left me.”

“I see there’s nothing wrong with your _mouth_.” Brenda snorted, “a blessing _and_ a curse.” 

Brenda got the vest open and didn’t need to pull up Sharon’s shirt to see that she was bleeding, “I think you just ripped some stitches.” Brenda explained, “if I help you, think you can stand up without using your stomach muscles?” 

“Yeah,” Sharon huffed. 

Brenda slipped an arm underneath Sharon and supported her back, lifting her. Sharon slipped her arm around Brenda’s shoulders and she slowly got to her feet and down the stairs with Brenda’s help. 

The ambulance was waiting for her when they got out the door. The EMTs took Sharon’s arms and helped her into the back. “I’ll ride with her,” Brenda said. 

“No, _I’ll_ ride with her.” Agent Osaka scowled, stepping in front of Brenda. “I have a few questions for her. Meanwhile, Chief Johnson, if you’d be good enough to speak with Agent Fitzgerald?”

“Sure, why not?” Brenda forced a smile. She peered around Osaka, “Sharon, you’ll be okay?”

“It’s just a flesh wound.” Sharon smirked as the EMT inserted an iv into her arm and coaxed her to lay back. 

Brenda watched as Osaka climbed in and the EMTs closed the door. She didn’t stop watching until the ambulance sprang to life and sped off. Reluctantly she turned and followed Agent Fitzgerald to the car. 

“Sharon Raydor, can you explain what you were thinking when you willfully escaped protective custody?” 

“I just gave her a sedative. She’s going to lose consciousness any moment.” The EMT explained. 

Sharon smiled, already feeling the effects of the drugs in her system, “I was thinking… that I didn’t really live through being shot… if I was just going to hide away forever…” 

“Are you aware of how many laws you broke?” 

“Are you aware of how many _eyes_ you have?” Sharon asked with shock and sudden intense interest. 

“And that’s it, agent.” The EMT laughed at Sharon’s question. “You can speak to her again at the hospital at the discretion of her doctor.” 

**

The next time Sharon opened her eyes she was in a hospital room and she saw Tommy Delk sitting in a chair in the far corner reading out of a file. “Chief?”

He looked up. “Sharon Raydor. As you live and breathe.” 

“Yeah, mercifully.” 

“You know, it almost would have been better if you had died,” he teased, “you’re causing me quite a bit of paperwork.” 

“Mea culpa.”

“All kidding aside, Sharon, you could have killed yourself. You and Chief Johnson pursued two dangerous criminals without authorization or police back up, you risked your life recklessly, so did Chief Johnson. You escaped protective custody, undermined the investigation of another law enforcement agency… But you know what? I am so goddamned glad that you’re alive to hear this lecture that I’m not going to give you or Chief Johnson official reprimands. Just consider this an official warning and if you ever do anything that reckless again you can consider yourself an _ex_ -member of the LAPD. Do I make myself clear?” 

“Crystal… sir.” 

“Good. Get your rest.” Tommy stood up. “And if you get up out of this bed before the doctor gives you the go ahead I’ll have you handcuffed in. Capishe?”

Sharon nodded with resignation. “The CBI…”

“I persuaded them that dropping any charges would be the best thing for all of us.” Tommy sighed, “your stunt did end in the capture of LA’s most wanted not to mention the embarrassment at admitting to losing a state’s witness that was physically handicapped at the time.” 

Sharon snorted. 

“Neither of you will rceive public commendations for this. You’re done with ceremonies for a while.” He paused, “anyway you should get some rest.”

“What about Brenda?”

“She should get some rest too.” Tommy teased. “I don’t know, I think CBI released her about an hour ago.” 

Sharon nodded. “Thanks for coming by, Tommy.” 

He walked over and patted her shoulder gently, “just glad you’re okay.”

“Me too.” Sharon smiled as she closed her eyes, a new wave of morphine kicking in. “And glad we got Faulkner.” 

**

The next time Sharon woke up she was alone in the room. She yawned and stretched instinctively before recoiling a little. 

She did acknowledge that she’d been extremely fortunate. She survived the initial wound, she survived hiking five miles in the California sun, she survived falling asleep in the back of a stranger’s car, she survived a shoot-out with Faulkner and her career apparently survived undermining the CBI. 

The doctor came in and checked her vitals. “You seem to be doing just fine, Ms. Raydor.” 

“Chief Raydor, please.” She asked. 

“Of course.” He scribbled something down in her chart, “I am going to recommend you stay in the hospital for a few days because Police Chief Delk informed me you’re not likely to follow my instructions if I were to release you.”

Sharon pouted. 

“You’re certainly a popular girl though.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Ever since news of your rise from the dead hit the airwaves the press has been camping out. We haven’t let anybody through since Chief Delk, though.” 

“Is Chief Johnson out there?” Sharon asked hopefully. “She’s a petite blonde with a Southern accent and sharp tongue.” 

“Yup. I know the one. She’s out there.”

“She can come in, right? We… work together. I’d like to see her.” 

“She’ll be glad to hear that, she’s been out there driving my nurses crazy.” He put the chart back at the foot of her bed, “I’ll go get her for you.” 

The room was silent again except for the soft hum of the overhead light. Sharon took a deep breath and let it out, slipping her eyes shut. The door opened silently and Brenda walked up to Sharon’s bedside. 

Sharon opened her eyes and smiled. “You’re a sight for sore eyes.” 

“How are you feeling?”

“Simultaneously elated and deflated.” Sharon admitted. “You?”

“Just… content to be getting back to my life.” Brenda then added jokingly, “you need to get better quickly because we have a wedding to plan.” 

Sharon took Brenda’s hand. “I was serious about that.”

“Sweetheart, it’s the morphine talking.” 

“No, it isn’t.” Sharon insisted. “I love you… and all the things you’ve done for me in the last three days… you risked your life for me, you _saved my life_. You followed me into battle without a solid plan. That’s how I knew I was going to marry Derek and that’s how I know I’m going to marry you.” 

“Sharon…” Brenda looked down with a happy smile that she was trying to keep in check. “Please, _please_ don’t say that if you don’t mean it.” 

“I mean it with my whole heart, Brenda.” Sharon squeezed her hands, “I want you to marry me.” 

Brenda couldn’t help but smile, she shook her head with a laugh. “I must be crazy because I want to marry you, too.”


End file.
